Boot-tree



(No Modeli)` 110011 TREE.

.110.501,133 Patented July 11,1893.,v

Nrran STATES ATENT `einen.

CHESTER W. CLARK, OF MISHAWAKA, INDIANA.

B O O T T R E E SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 501,133, dated July 11, 1893.

Application filed February 1, 189,3. Serial No. 460,572. (No model.) i

To a/ZZ whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, CHESTER W. CLARK, of Mishawaka, in St. Joseph county, in the State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Iinprovement in Expansible Boot-Trees Adapted to the Treeing of Wool Boots; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and accurate description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein v Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of my tree, partly in section, collapsed and within the unstretched boot. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing the tree in operation within the boot. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 1olooking from above. Fig. 4. is a transverse section on line y-y. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line ,c-z looking toward the toe. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the hollow heel. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section showing a modification in the foot. Fig. 8 is a transverse section on line @v -w.

A Woolen boot may be made in one of two ways, irst of a wool bat roughly shaped like a gigantic boot, or by knitting coarse, loosely spun yarn in the form of a gigantic stocking. In either case it is caused to shrink and full by treatment in hot water or steam in a fulling machine of some description. The former is converted into true felt. In the latter the felting process is partly interfered with by the twisting of the -wool into yarn, but in either case the fabric comes from the fulling mill in the form of an irregular conical bag of young felt hard and sti, which it is required to shape on proper trees while yet wet. The hard and stubborn condition of the felt renders the labor of treeing severe, the more sosince it is necessary to handle the boots while still soaked in hot water.

My invention is designed to facilitate the operation of treeing and to lighten the hardship of that labor. It is also designed to treat the fabric more equably and. reduce the percentage of boots spoiled in the process of treeing.

It will be understood that after the felt bag has been shaped by the tree it is placed in a ing legs and feet, so that in treeing the ,felt has been stretched out, especially on a line along the back of the leg, heel andsole, but the structure of the elongating leg has been to concentrate vthe stretch mostly at the heel, because the upper part of the leg resting upon the non moving part of the leg refuses to slide thereon under the strain of the extending portion of said leg. many boots shaped upon said trees the heel portion was stretched Vout too thin or ruptured entirely, and in either case, the boot was spoiled. Owing to this defect in mechanical or expanding trees, so far as known to me, felted wool-boots are still exclusively treed upon trees expanded by Wedges in the primitive way.

My invention obviates the defects of the kmechanical trees as heretofore made, and also obviates the greater part of the labor incident to the hand process.

My tree consists of three members: two leg pieces A. and B. and a foot piece C pivoted to the leg pieces in such manner that as the leg pieces are caused to move longitudinally as to each other, the foot piece will be caused to leave its initial position in line with saidv leg pieces, and assume a position at right angles thereto, viz: the relative positions of leg and foot. Incidentally the leg pieces A and B. are also moved awayfromeach other to expand and shape the leg, and the foot piece is forced into the point or toe of the bag and the foot portion is stretched and turned up to its proper position. When the boot has been properly formed and stretched by the action of the parts of the tree, it must be locked or retained in its position until the fabric has become dry and thereby deprived of the power to revert to its original form. For this purpose I have placed an arm d upon the leg piece A. and provided the part B with a proper catch c, to engage with the notch p. in the end ot' the arm d. and thereby lock the parts. The arm d also serves as a guide for the movement of the part A. in expanding the leg. It will appear obvious that the arm CZ would be just as effective if projected in a rreverse direction (downward) from the part B.

Therefore in IOO When the treei-ng is to be done, the tree is collapsed as indicated in Fig. 1. and in that shape is inserted into the conical felt bag R.

before mentioned. A lever k, is then applied at the free ends of the parts A. B.' and the part A is forced downward and outward and to the position shown in Fig. 2 guided by the arm d to expand the boot. As stated above, in other mechanical trees the action is such that the stretch, necessaryV to the change of position and proper shaping of foot and heel, takes place at, and in immediate vicinity of the heel and in my tree this necessary stretch is distributed over the whole length of the leg and foot and hence is accomplished without risk to the fabric, or undue stretching at the heel. To accomplish this, it is necessary to hold the upper edge of the boot fabric on the side where the leg piece moves, independently of said moving piece, so that while said part is mov-ing and exerting pressure on the heel, the upper edge being independently held, the heel stretch will distribute itself over the whole length of the leg.

The upper edge of the leg may be held as described by a support attached to the leg piece B, but I have found it more economical to make it separate from the tree and attached to a table upon which the tree may be placed while the boot fabric is being stretched. Therefore I have placed upon a suitable table one or more clips or blocks m, which are preferably concave on the front to approximately fit the transform of the boot tree. These clips or blocks are rigidly se-` cured to the table. A movable or pressure clip N is placed upon a strong spring or elastic arm Q which is also rigidly attached to said table in such position that the normal position of said clip N will be forward close to the clips m. m. The clip N is furnished with teeth or such saw tooth corrugations as may be necessary to enable it to seize and hold the felt of the boot fabric, near tothe upper I edge thereof, while also pressing it against the moving part A, while the same is moving. Instead of a spring, the clip N may be mounted upon an arm pivoted to said table, and forced against the moving part of the tree by foot pressure on a treadle or other convenient way.

The tree as shown in Fig. 7 is a modification of the tree above described in having the foot piece C made in two parts hinged together at the toe, and therefore expansible as is the leg portion. In its general mode of operation it does not diifer from that shown in other figures. The parts A. B. C are concave shells in general shape adapted to the form of the leg and foot. They are provided interiorly with proper lugs, dac., for articulating attachments. They are also pierced with numerous holes so that the air may have access to the inner surface of the fabric to facilitate the process of drying. For convenience in manufacture, the foot piece C is cast in two pieces which are afterward united. The upper or instep portion is pivoted at S near the instep to the front leg piece B. and the under or sole portion is 1to be depressed, and the foot piece to swing upward on the instep joint to the proper foot position as in Fig. 2.

The modified structure of the foot piece C shown in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein the two parts of the foot piece are collapsible, being jointed together at the toe, makes it desirable that a stop shall be employed to limit the movement of said parts. I have employed the hooking plates r. r. for this purpose.

I do not herein claim` and I hereby disclaim the combination, in a boot freeing machine, with a collapsible last supporting the mitten,

of a holder engaging the exterior surface of the mitten, and bearing directly against the last.

Having described my invention, I claim as l. In an expansible boot tree, the leg pieces A and B andthe foot piece the sole whereof is formed in one rigid` piece and is pivoted to the leg piece A. and the instep whereof is pivoted to the leg piece B. substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The leg pieces A. B. combined with the foot piece provided with the extended arm JL. rigid with the sole portion of the foot piece, and the pivots whereby said foot piece is jointed to said leg pieces respectively for the purpose set forth.

3. The leg piece A. provided with the rigid arm d. and the leg piece B. provided with the catch c. combined with the foot piece jointed to said leg pieces respectively as andv for the purpose set forth.

4. The leg piece B. the foot piece pivoted thereto at the instep, the arm 71, rigid with and extending from the sole portion of said foot piece, and the leg piece A. provided with a hollow heel having its bottom portion slotted to give proper form to the fabric at that point and to permit said arm h to come in line with said leg piece A. when the tree is collapsed.

' 5. An expanding tree A. B. combined with a foot-piece the fixed clips m. m. and the movable clip N adapted to seize and hold the boot fabric near its upper edge, independently of the moving part of said tree as set forth.

6. In a collapsible boot tree, comprising a stationary and a movable leg portion an arm d rigid with one of said portions to expand and sustain the parts of the tree, substantially as set forth.

CHESTER W. CLARK.

In presence of R. D. O. SMITH, ELLIOTT F. ALDRICH.

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